Maximize your kids preference points

Avid hunter and software engineer Ron Wold runs the free website https://oregontags.com to help hunters figure out their chances each year.

He also is a father of three who has taken all of his kids’ big game hunting. His daughter had 15 points the year of her 18^th birthday, but just missed out on her first choice Glass Hill Youth Elk Hunt (252T2) which last year took 16 points for a 100 percent chance at drawing.

Yup, that’s right—youth hunts can rival some of the best deer and elk hunts in terms of points needed. So how does a kid build up the most preference points—which by age 17 could be as many as 15?

“Folks in the know on how these points work will have a big advantage,” Wold says, and offers the following guidance to maximize your kids’ points and their big game hunting opportunities.

Apply for point savers beginning at age 9

Age 12 is the minimum age for kids to hunt big game on their own tag, but kids can start applying for point savers at age 9. (A hunting license is required which costs only $10 for kids, plus $8 per application.)

For several years now, point savers have been available for purchase July 1-Nov. 30 each year, not just by the May 15 controlled hunt deadline. “It used to be that kids born after May 15 were out of luck on getting a preference point for that year, but not anymore,” said Wold.

Register each year for mentored youth program

The Mentored Youth Hunter Program is a great way to introduce kids to hunting.  It allows kids age 9-15 to hunt on an adult’s license and tag but with one firearm between them. Kids can hunt under this program without first completing hunter education.

As an added benefit, each calendar year (Jan. 1-Dec. 31) that a youth registers for the program, they bank one MYHP preference point for that year.

MYHP registration is free and all done online, see more information. 

MYHP points remain banked until the Request to Redeem is received and processed by ODFW Licensing (remember to turn in the form by May 25 of the year you want to use the points. These special points don’t expire and youth may redeem them even after they turn age 18 if they choose.

Once redeemed, MYHPs operate just like regular preference points. All points need to be redeemed to one hunt series (buck deer, antlerless deer, elk, pronghorn or spring bear).

“It is important to register your child in the mentored youth program every year they are eligible, even if you are not certain they will be able to hunt,” notes Wold. “There are youth hunts that take significant points to draw and you need all seven mentored youth points.”

Know the odds to make a wise choice

Wold’s website calculates the odds for a drawing a tag at various point levels each year. Remember that 75 percent of tags are distributed based on preference points, and the remainder randomly among first choice applicants (or 2^nd-5^th choice depending on the number of applicants vs tags).

Wold cautioned young hunters and their parents to always check the regulations for hunt changes and to stay in the know.

For example, the Interstate youth hunt (175T) dates have changed from November (during the rut) to Sept. 26-Oct. 12, 2022. This change is due to population concerns in this unit and for season date consistency with other youth deer hunts—including five new youth deer hunts in south central Oregon.  

The Starkey Unit Youth Elk hunt (#252T1) may also see a change in applicants this year as the elk population has been significantly reduced due to research happening in the Starkey Experimental Forest.

Didn’t draw? Youth can still get a tag

Many parents don’t know it, but youth (ages 12-17) are guaranteed a controlled buck, antlerless deer and elk tag (100, 600 and 200 series) before they turn 18 under a special program called the First Time Hunt program. Here is how the program works:

Youth must apply in the regular controlled hunt draw (deadline May 15) and not draw a tag. (Once a youth draws a tag in a series, they are no longer eligible for the First Time Hunt program for that series.) After failing to draw a tag, youth can apply for a guaranteed First Time Hunt from July 1-Sept. 1.

Fill out the application and submit to Licensing Division within that timeframe; application will be available online after the tag draw each year.

Youth must choose a hunt that meets the minimum tag allocation (at least 201 tags for buck deer/100 series hunts and 51 tags for elk/200 series and antlerless deer/600 series hunts). ODFW posts eligible hunts on the First Time Hunt page in late June of each year.

“First time” tags are only for fully hunter education certified youth and are not extra tags; youth are still limited to the maximum number of tags per series per year.

“I recommend identifying all the hunts that are eligible for the first-time program—look them over because there are some good ones,” said Wold. “When my son turned 12 he applied for hard to draw youth elk tag.  He didn’t draw so he applied under the first-time program for a cow hunt that was taking 8 points to draw.  He got the cow tag and the preference point.”

Find more information on youth big game hunting opportunities.